2021 Erwin-Ramsey Fellowship Now Open

Due to changing conditions regarding COVID-19, the 2021 Fellowship is expected to take place in late Summer 2021 and will be predominently in-person with safe social distancing and all necessary precautions. 

Background

brwarchitects hosts a Summer Fellowship for graduate students, fourth-year and rising fourth-year undergraduate students in the School of Architecture. Named after the brwarchitects Principals’ hometowns, this fellowship aims to deepen architectural contributions to the town where the firm has worked for over 35 years.

Affordability and equity is one of the most impactful issues in designing and developing our communities. The 2021 Fellowship is ideal for students in the UVa School of Architecture who are interested in gaining experience in the relationship between architecture and affordable housing, community planning/policy and placemaking.

This three-week program will focus on a specific integrative project that contributes to Charlottesville’s affordable housing goals and will be based on the program’s curriculum as well as the ingenuity and interests of the fellow. During the program, the fellow will build relationships with residents, clients, and decision-makers in the Charlottesville housing market, while gaining a higher level of professional experience than entry-level and internship positions.

Candidates will submit:

• Cover letter, including a brief personal statement about relevant background and interests
• Resume
• Work samples or portfolio

We welcome more developed project proposals from candidates whose focus aligns with the Fellowship.

Application deadline: April 16, 2021

Schedule: Full-Time

Compensation: $2,500

Dates: The fellowship is a three-week program during the Summer of 2021. Dates may be modified to suit candidate’s schedule.

Candidates should submit application materials to Cole Wardell at cwardell@brw-architects.com

Past Fellows

2020 Erwin-Ramsey Fellow Taha Suhrawardy (UVa ’20)

Program: Exploration of the role that community agriculture can play in land use strategies to reinforce the wellbeing and food security of resident-led redevelopment projects in Charlottesville. Taha worked with BRW’s existing resident relationships and existing food justice initiatives to create this interdisciplinary project. 

2019 Erwin-Ramsey Fellow Amanda Harlow (UVa ‘20)

Program: Development of a Curriculum for religious congregations in Charlottesville whose missions align with affordable housing and caring for the homeless and aging populations. This immersive research project data-mapped potential sites for developing affordable housing and translated the City development process into an accessible tutorial. The resulting Curriculum assists communities of faith in identifying their opportunities and resources, becoming familiar with the development and design process, and implementing affordable housing as part of their mission.